diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/kernelselector.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/kernelselector.js
index 62ad606..e25ed2b 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/kernelselector.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/kernelselector.js
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ define([
         
         var body = $("<form>").addClass("form-inline").append(
             $("<span>").text(
-                "I couldn't find a kernel matching " + (data.selected.display_name || data.name) + "." +
+                "I couldn't find a kernel matching " + (data.selected.display_name || data.selected.name) + "." +
                 " Please select a kernel:"
             )
         ).append(select);
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
index d9c68f3..f516106 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
@@ -2209,13 +2209,23 @@ define(function (require) {
         } else if (this.nbformat_minor < nbmodel.nbformat_minor) {
             this.nbformat_minor = nbmodel.nbformat_minor;
         }
-        
+
         if (this.session === null) {
             var kernel_name = utils.get_url_param('kernel_name');
             if (kernel_name) {
                 this.kernel_selector.set_kernel(kernel_name);
             } else if (this.metadata.kernelspec) {
                 this.kernel_selector.set_kernel(this.metadata.kernelspec);
+            } else if (this.metadata.language) {
+                // compat with IJulia, IHaskell, and other early kernels
+                // adopters that where setting a language metadata.
+                this.kernel_selector.set_kernel({
+                    name: "(No name)",
+                    language: this.metadata.language
+                  });
+                // this should be stored in kspec now, delete it.
+                // remove once we do not support notebook v3 anymore.
+                delete this.metadata.language;
             } else {
                 // setting kernel via set_kernel above triggers start_session,
                 // otherwise start a new session with the server's default kernel